I Am On My Way
by Jysella
Summary: Pokeshipping week 2015 day 5- Long Distance


A/N: Prompt 5! We are so close to done. Also, I have been listening to tons of Disney...I regret nothing.

 **I Am On My Way**

Since the beginning of his journey, seven years before, Ash has been very good about time differences. Even within Kanto the times change from town to town and he's always been careful to call home when his mother was awake. In the Orange Islands it's Ash and not Misty who keeps track of when brock can be called. Still it surprises Max when he asks, offhandedly, what time it is in Kanto on a random day and Ash is able to answer without even thinking. It's a skill he keeps up. Four years later, in Kalos of all places, Serena wonders about the time in Kanto and Ash answers without breaking his rhythm in training.

It's sweet, Serena thinks. Ash obviously knows the time so well so that he can call his mom. But it's not that. Serena doesn't pay enough attention to know that it's only occasionally his mom that Ash is calling. Though, he does call her—every other week. He calls Brock once a month. May he rings every other month and then later, when he leaves May for his own journey, he calls Max on the even months. He speaks to Dawn as well, though she usually calls him for advice. He even speaks with Iris and Cilan, though it is somewhat rarer as it requires them to be not only in range of service but also acknowledging the phone. He tends to speak with them when they call rather than seeking them out for conversation Rarely he speaks with Iris and Cilan, but they only call when they find somewhere with service. It's Misty though, that he speaks to the most. He can recount her days sometimes better than his own.

But Arceus, he hates calling the gym. It's archaic, the system he has to go through to reach her. He has to call the main gym and ask for the residences and give a code and be on a list and then hope that Misty picks up. She rarely does. The girl is busy. She'd attained type mastery at seventeen and with it had come an extreme workload. Before it had only been the gym and trainers but after? She'd had conferences to speak at and master badges and battles to dole out, consultations with Pokémon doctors and regular visits to evaluate type gyms in other regions on top of rookie badges and gym maintenance. Usually Ash leaves a message and waits, hoping Misty can call him back.

He dials the gym from memory, wincing when Janene, the night secretary, picks up. She's been working at the gym for five years and though Ash has called once a week since before her tenure, she never seems to treat him as though she knows whose calling.

"Cerulean Gym," she intones, nasal voice somehow exuding annoyance and helpfulness at the same time. "Home of the sensational sisters. Gym is currently closed and will reopen TBD. Is this a Pokémon emergency?"

"Why is the gym closed?" Ash asks, concerned.

"Is this a Pokémon emergency, sir?" she asks again and Ash sighs.

"Can you put me through to the personal residences?" he asks and she scoffs.

"If you're on the list. Name?" Janene says, boredom clearly coming through.

"Ash Ketchum."

"Ashly Ketchit?" She questions.

"Ash Ketchum" he grits out.

"Ashton Katch? I'm sorry sir I'm not seeing you on the list. Please try back tomorrow."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Ash yells, surprising everyone in the center. He takes a deep breath, trying to calm down and continues quietly. "Janene it's me. We've had this conversation over 200 times in the last five years."

"Oh of course. Mr. Ketchum" she says as though she's just found his name, "Code?" Ash drops his head to his hands and considers responding sarcastically but knows that it will only restart the process. He rattles off his birthday—the day he and Misty had met—and Janene puts him through. He head stays down, waiting for Misty's voice mail to pick up so that he can let her know where he is. She'll call back when she has time, hopefully before Ash leaves the counter. They've missed each other before like that and its always disappointing how difficult it is to get the timing right. He must doze off because it's his mother's voice that greets him when the phone finally clicks through.

"Oh shoot mom, I'm sorry. I must have dialed the wrong number" he says, he must have dreamed dialing misty and he'll have to try again tomorrow. He lifts his head, settling in to a conversation with his mother and to find her sitting happily in….hang on is that Misty's apartment?

"Oh no sweetie. I'm at Misty's"

"Oh," Ash says, scratching his head, "Well, not that I don't love you. But, can you put Misty on?"

"Sorry dear, no can do. She's sleeping" Delia smiles. Ash is confused. He's fairly certain it's only 7 in Cerulean. Misty is usually awake until 1 or 2 in the morning.

"Is she ok?" Ash asks. She's paler lately. The circles under her eyes growing darker by the day and her skin, though always pale, seeming translucent. She's fallen asleep more as they talked and even Brock has mentioned that she's seemed tired—though the two don't talk as much as they used too.

"Just a little under the weather." Then why is Delia there. Ash raises an eyebrow and Delia's smile falls. "A lot under the weather. Pneumonia"

"Where are her sisters?" Ash asks and Delia shrugs, her darkened smile fading completely to a frown.

"Does she really need you there?" Ash asks. Delia starts to shake her head when a crash sounds from behind her. Delia turns in the screen.

"Misty?" there's no response. Another crash and blanketed figure careens into view. "Misty, dear, you're not supposed to be out of bed." The figure lurches forward and bumps into the couch, falling over the edge. It lands with a soft bump.

"Misty, are you ok?" Ash can't help but call. The figure groans. And Delia stands to get her water. Ash hears soft murmuring beyond the screen as she does. The words "gym" and "too much work" are repeated, but Delia coos at her before sitting back down at the screen.

"She's fine." Delia responds, "Just worried about the gym."

"Why?"

"It's been closed for a few days already and there are league rules or something. Someone has to take over I guess? And her sisters can't. I don't know. She gave me this person's number. You two met him in the Orange Islands. Rudy?" Ash's face pales.

"Rudy? No Ma, don't call him. He's a creep"

"How is he a creep?" Delia asks, shocked at hearing her son speak of anyone in that matter. Misty groans something from the couch that Delia can't make out but Ash evidently understands.

"He was Mist. He hit on you when we were like 12." Another groan from the couch. "Fine, 13. Point remains he was like 20." Another groan and Delia cuts in before it can be a fight across four regions.

"Well, I guess we can't have him then." Delia says.

"I can come." Ash responds and the groaning kicks in again. "The league can wait, I'm in good standing and they'll understand." He's looking up as he talks, ticking off points on his fingers in the tone he uses whenever he thinks Misty is being ridiculous. Were she not so relieved, Delia might wonder at her son having a special tone used when explaining things to his "we're just best friends Ma".

"I'm glad you'll come dear. The tickets will be there in the morning and I'd hate to waste them." He's going to complain, claim he's not that predictable. But really, it's Misty. He never stood a chance.


End file.
